Calls to do away with the 4 per cent reservation exclusively given to Muslims under the OBC category in Karnataka are growing within the ruling BJP.
Following the ban on Popular Front of India (PFI), the theory doing the rounds within the ruling BJP is that doing away with reservation for Muslims to accommodate Lingayats or Brahmins would help the party in a big way during the Assembly elections.
This theory gained ground after BJP’s Lingayat lawmakers Arvind Bellad and Basanagouda Patil Yatnal started pushing for the Muslim quota to be done away with.
Muslims are classified under category 2B of the OBCs. The community, which includes 17 sub-sects, is entitled to 4% reservation in education and jobs.
Yatnal, the Bijapur city MLA, has publicly demanded scrapping of the Muslim quota in favour of the Panchamasali Lingayats who want to be put under category 2A, where they will get a share in the 15% reservation as against category 3B that has 5% quota.
Earlier this week, Yatnal said the Muslim quota should be abolished in favour of Brahmins, who have also sought a quota.
Bellad, the Hubli-Dharwad West MLA, has written to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, demanding that the Muslim and Christian quotas be used for Panchamasali Lingayats, Kurubas and Marathas. Christians in Karnataka come under Category 3B.
A BJP source said the party was looking to mobilise voters on the Hindutva plank.
“We’re able to achieve that to a certain degree after the PFI ban. Similarly, our party’s stocks went up during the hijab ban issue,” a BJP source said, adding that the ongoing protests against hijab in Iran would help the party’s narrative.
The source pointed out that Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has demanded that the Hubballi-Nizamuddin Express be renamed after vocal music maestro Sawai Gandharva, close on the heels of the Tipu Express becoming Wodeyar Express.
“We’ve also planned a Kumbha Mela in K R Pet taluk of Mandya district.”
Former Karnataka State Commission For Backward Classes chairperson C S Dwarakanath told DH that it is “almost impossible” for the government to drop any castes included in the present OBC list.
“Since the time of the Havanuru commission, there has been a debate on whether the Commission should look into backwardness of castes or classes,” he said.
Muslims were included in the OBC list on the basis of ‘class’ and not caste, he pointed out.
“The Karnataka OBC list also includes Christians, Sikhs and Jains,” he said.
“The Commission will need a very strong case to drop any community from the list.”
In Chitradurga, Karnataka Congress’ communications chief Priyank Kharge slammed the BJP for “always thriving on such divisive policies”.